Bears' secondary will be in flux yet again in Week 8 after two starters have their week get off to a bad start
The Chicago Bears are going to be without some key players during practice on Wednesday leading up to a big NFC showdown in Week 8.Leading up to practice, head coach Matt Eberflus said that two starters in the secondary will not be practicing due to lingering injuries coming out of the bye week.Safety Jaquan Brisker […]
The Chicago Bears are going to be without some key players during practice on Wednesday leading up to a big NFC showdown in Week 8.
Leading up to practice, head coach Matt Eberflus said that two starters in the secondary will not be practicing due to lingering injuries coming out of the bye week.
Safety Jaquan Brisker is still in concussion protocol after missing the team's last game in Week 6 and slot cornerback Kyler Gordon is still dealing with a hamstring injury that forced him to leave the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. The team, however, will have cornerback Tyrique Stevenson back on Wednesday, who missed Week 6 with a calf injury.
Even with all the pieces down in the secondary against the Jaguars, the depth players were still able to step up in a major way in the win, which gave the coaching staff some added confidence, although they'd obviously like to have the starters back.
The biggest concern is Brisker, who's dealt with concussion issues in the past, and has now been in the protocol for over two weeks.
"I always have concern with anybody that's in concussion," Eberflus said on Wednesday. "It's a big injury, it's something that you got to be very careful about. Guys do a great job with those working through the protocol. That's why it's in place. That's why the NFL has instituted that. So, it's where it is right now, and we're hoping that he's getting better every single day."
Brisker has been the heart of the Bears secondary and really the defense since entering the league in 2022. And his injury is something that Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn will be following closely this week.
"He's a significant factor," Quinn said on Wednesday. "I can remember him coming out of Penn State and just all the background and following him. I think he has a lot of value in today's NFL… and Brisker certainly has all the skills. He can play down, he can guard man-to-man, he's a good hitter. So a lot of respect for him."
Gordon has just as big of an impact in terms of how versatile he can be for the defense in terms of his coverage skills and physicality.
If Brisker or Gordon can't go on Sunday, the Bears will start Elijah Hicks at safety and Josh Blackwell (who had a key interception in Week 6) in their place once again.
Bears expected to soon get reinforcements coming out of the bye and a few returns could lead to potential trades
Moves will need to be made.
